Feeding Pumba

So I have a bunch of new recipes to post, that are absolutely amazing, and pictures to go with them. Unfortunately, my computer decided to die a few weeks ago. Luckily my dad was able to get everything off of my computer and rebuild it. However, this is not the first time this has happened so I have decided to get a new computer. Until I do get a new computer I do not want to put any pictures or anything on my old one, just in case. So the recipes and pictures will have to wait a bit, but they will come eventually. Now I just have to find a computer I like. Wish me luck.

Update

I went to the doctor this week. Good news!! The celiac panel blood test that the doctor redid came back negative for celiac disease. That does not mean that I don't have it anymore; it just means that I am no longer receiving damage to my small intestine, because I am no longer eating gluten. In the big picture it means that I can start healing now; almost 6 months later. I will say that I realize I am so blessed and I am grateful for that. In all reality we did not expect me to be this well yet. However, I must admit that I sometimes loose my patience. I'm trying to do everything I can and I sometimes get frustrated that it is such a slow process to heal. But there is even a blessing in that. Every time I feel that I am about to loose my patience completely I feel myself strengthened with a renewed sense of importance for what I am doing and how I am spending my time right now. When I look at everything I have been through the past few months I cannot help but be grateful and in complete awe at the blessings, strength, guidance, and comfort I have received from my Father in Heaven. I honestly can't think negatively about my situation. I have been able to become closer with my family and my Father in Heaven. I have grown personally; becoming more confident in myself and more sure of who I am and what I want my life to be. I am truly happy right now and I know that the Lord will continue to bless my life and guide me to the opportunities that will be of the most value to me.

Cravings and Endless Hunger

For the past year I have had the worst eating habits. I would crave sweets and carbohydrates to no end. Plus... I was ALWAYS hungy. I not just talking about the 'hey I want a bite of that' hunger, I am talking my stomach was growling hunger. At first I decided I just had a bad relationship with food. So I tried to be careful about what I ate and how much I ate. My will power would only ever last a few days. The cravings and hunger would get to me and I would start to constantly eat again. I didn't know what was wrong with me or what to do about it. I felt like I had no control over myself. There was just something instinctive inside me the knew it had to keep eating. It got to the point where some nights I would be completely full and yet I would still have this internal need to keep eating, even though I didn't want to. In all honesty it really scared me.
Well, it makes much more sense now. Because of the damage in my intestines I wasn't absorbing any of the nutrients from the food I was eating. So in reality my body was starving even though I was eating. That explains the constant hunger and the need to keep eating. Also, because I was so fatigued (which I'll write about later), and again not absorbing anything, my body was craving quick energy, which would explain the cravings for sweets and carbohydrates. Understanding this has helped me handle the cravings and hunger. Knowing why I am feeling the way I am feeling has helped me be able to manage what I eat and how much I eat, to give my body what it needs and not necessarily what it wants. Over the past few months the cravings and hunger have subsided a lot. Now that my body is absorbing some nutrients it's not on constant alert for food. A more reasonable diet is coming slowly, although I still think I eat more than I should. Over time I think I will be fine. It's a relief to know that I can manage my relationship with food and that I don't have some sort of psychological disorder.

Only me...

For those of you who truly know me, you know I can be quite the ditz. Well a few weeks ago I had a 'moment'. I was getting ready for bed and decided that I was going to put lotion on. Now, I usually put on lotion after I shower but decided to switch things up that day and put it on at night. I also decided that I was going to use a lotion I hadn't used in a while. So, I put the lotion on, got dressed and went downstairs to brush my teeth. As I was flossing I realized that I still had lotion on my hands. I just shook my head at myself. Seriously, who puts on lotion before they floss their teeth. Don't you learn not to do that by the time you're 6!?! Oh well, the worst that happens is that it tastes bad right? Then I stopped... some lotions have gluten but it's not a big deal because you don't ingest it. Only, being the immensely intelligent person I am, I stuck my hands in my mouth right after I put it on, thus ingesting it. Well, still not a big deal, because most lotions don't have gluten, only a few. So, I just finished flossing and brushing my teeth. When I went back to my bedroom I decided to check my lotion bottles. The lotion I usually use was fine, completely gluten-free. Then I checked the lotion that I had used that night, you know the one I hadn't used in a while. Well, just my luck, one of the last ingredients was wheat-starch. So, just a recap... not only did I get a bad taste in my mouth but I also gave myself a gluten reaction (it came full force the next day). It's just another one of those things that makes me laugh at myself and shake my head saying, "only me, only me."

Feeding Pumba

Quinoa (pronounced 'KEEN-wa') is one of the new things I have tried, and love. It is actually a seed, though it is used like a grain. It is the only grain-like thing that has all the amino acids needed to build a protein, so it is very nutritionally sound. There are limitless ways to use quinoa, and it has become one of the staples of my diet (right up there with rice). I have tried many recipes using quinoa and have liked all of them. Here is one of my favorites. Black Bean Mango Quinoa Salad

1 red pepper, seeded and diced small

3 green onions, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 mango, peeled and chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1 can (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 cups quinoa, cooked and chilled

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and chill. Serve cold. I love this dish with warm crab or fish. It is absolutely delicious!!!

Gluten Free Review

You know how when you go to the grocery store hungry you come home with some crazy stuff? I really can't do that with the regular grocery store anymore, which is probably a good thing. However, there is still Whole Foods. I may have gone to Whole Foods hungry the other day. Things were just jumping into my basket, begging to come home with me. One thing in particular was very insistent on coming home with me. I must admit it seemed like the perfect thing. It was gluten free, I am gluten free. It was dairy free, I am dairy free. It had spinach, I love spinach. It was pizza and I have been craving pizza since the day I started this all consuming diet!!! And to top it all off, it was Amy's (and though I have been trying not to put my name on this blog, the coincidence was too great to pass it by. Yes, my name is Amy.) I was so excited to come home and try Amy's Gluten Free, Dairy Free Spinach Pizza!! It was meant to be, right?

I am not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed (although I should know better by now). It was edible, though. I may even get it again when I really want pizza. But it was not as perfect as it seemed to be in the store. So overall, I wouldn't recommend it, but it may take the edge off of some cravings.

Vendor Fair

A couple of weeks ago the local Celiac Support group held a vendor fair. It was amazing and huge!! I came away with a ton of information, gluten free samples to last me weeks, and some great ideas for food. The 70+ vendors ranged from things like local restaurants, country-wide grocery chains, local catering, or people just selling their product. Here are a few of my favorite finds...

 Whole Foods - I already shop at Whole Foods for some things. I had noticed that they had a store brand line of gluten free food. I never wanted to try because I wasn't sure how reliable it was. However, here's what I found out. Everything in the Whole Foods gluten free line is processed and packaged in a seperate facility, so it is completely safe. I was so excited to find this out because now I have a whole new line of stuff to try.

Gluten Free Catering/Bakery - There are tons of gluten free catering and bakery companies, especially locally! (Be sure to check their practices though.) I always wondered what I would do for big events (ie. wedding), now I know there are some options around.

Celiaccess - This cute local couple has started a website, celiaccess.com. I think that if people take advantage of this new resource that it could make living a gluten free diet so much easier. You can look up any product on this website and get information about it's status of being gluten free or not. This includes resources on where the information was found and what makes it gluten free or not. Here's the thing though. Products are put on by other people. So, once you find out about a product that you like, put it on celiaccess.

Like I said before, there were tons of samples there. I am not going to go into everything I tried but here are the two things that I found that I liked.

Pamela's Cookies - I tried one of Pamela's mixes before and I really didn't like it, so I was skeptical about trying Pamela's cookies. However, they were delicious. I tried several kinds. My two favorites were the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chunk and the Mini Ginger Snaps. While I did enjoy these cookies, I am trying to stay away from sugary things (I'm not going to lie though, I really fell off that bandwagon with Halloween, oh well) so I'll probably won't eat them very often.

Bakery on Main Granola - I have always wanted to try this granola, but never had the courage to. It's not like regular granola, there are no oats. I tried 3 different kinds and they were all delicious!! I will definitely be getting them again. My favorite was the Extreme Fruit and Nut. Here's why... I love hazelnuts! So imagine my joy when I pour a handful of granola in my mouth and bite down to have the taste of hazelnut fill my mouth. That moment made me entire week!! So, that was the vendor fair. Definitely worth my entire morning. I can't wait till next year!!

Intestinal Issues

I once overheard a conversation that went something like this:
Guy: "Did you know that the average american farts 14 times a day?"
Girl: "No way."
Guy: "Seriously, I'm not making this up."
Girl: "Really, I don't think so. I never fart, so how can that be true?" 
Sorry everyone, I'm pretty sure I single-handedly skewed that statistic... for the entire nation.

I have had an array of intestinal problems. I won't go into great detail for the sake of those who actually read this blog, but I'll go ahead and give a brief overview. I've always had problems with gas. Since the time I was about 5 up until the present day. The past two years it got really bad. By the end of the day I was so distended that I looked 7-8 months pregnant. It got to the point that the distention never really went away and I was always gassy. I was uncomfortable all the time. I still have issues with gas depending on what I eat, but I am no longer permenantly distended and uncomfortable. As the bacteria overgrowth in my system works out I will have less and less gas. One day it is my hope to be like the girl in the conversation and say, "I never have gas."
When I was really young, like 5-7, I had issues with constapation. Luckily that worked itself out pretty quickly. Once I turned 13 I started having problems with diarrhea. I would occasionally have bouts of it but nothing to cause too much concern. I just figured it was the stomach flu or stress. When I started my junior year of college it started getting even worse. By the end of that fall semester I was constantly having diarrhea. Yes, that is right, I had diarrhea for 2 years straight. It was manageable most of the time. However, in my last semester of college it got really bad. I started having to plan around being sick. If I knew I had somewhere important to be or something important to do I just wouldn't eat. Even then I would sometimes be sick. After I finished college and came home I thought it would get better. I figured it was stress (even though I never actually felt stressed), or that I wasn't eating well (I'll get to that when I post about craving and continuous hunger). Unfortunately when I got home it just got worse. I was spending most of my time in the bathroom. It was so frustrating because I knew at that point that I wasn't stressed, plus I was eating better. Of course I had started snacking on Kashi cereals which are chalk-full of wheat, barley, and rye. It was finally the fact that I was constantly sick in the bathroom for 2 months that my mom made me go to the doctor. After starting the diet I immediately saw a difference. I still had diarrhea all the time but at least I wasn't in the bathroom all day, every day. Now I am back to bouts of diarrhea and bouts of being normal. I still have a ways to go to be constantly normal, but it has been a huge improvement over the last 4 months.

Stomach cramps; I get bad stomach cramps. Bad, bad as in, curled up on the bed crying, bad stomach cramps. I get cramps with gas, I get cramps with diarrhea, and sometimes I get cramps just for the sake of getting cramps. This was the one issue I talked to my doctor about when I was about 16. Here's how the conversation went...
Me: "I get really bad stomach cramps after I eat breakfast."
Doctor: "Do you get sick as well?"
Me: "No, It just hurts really bad for a while and then goes away."
Doctor: "You probably just have gas. Everyone has gas, just deal with it."
And so I did. I no longer have to curl up on my bed an cry, I just grit my teeth and 'deal with it'. 

Gasterointestinal problems are classified as 'classical symptoms' of celiac disease. Amazingly enough only 40% of celiac patients have intestinal symptoms. Usually, only patients who had onset of the disease in childhood have intestinal sypmtoms. Onset in adulthood usually manifests itself in 'atypical symptoms' like mood problems, rashes, body aches, etc. (basically everything besides intestinal problems). Ingestion of gluten, once on a gluten free diet, does not always manifest itself in intestinal distress either. I have found that if I only ingest trace amounts of gluten, like licking an envelope, I get really bad headaches and mood swings for a few days. However, when I get prolonged trace amounts of gluten or large amounts at one time I get really bad intestinal distress. Nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, the works. Mostly I just try to avoid any ingestion of gluten. That's when I'm happiest and I like being happy. :) Now you may be thinking, "Wow, that was way too much information for me." Just remember, that was the brief overview edition. You really DON'T want to know the full story.

Feeding Pumba

The question I get asked most is, "So... what CAN you eat?" My answer is always the same, "More than what I can't eat." I eat a large variety of fruits and vegetables, pure meats, beans, and whole grains (ie. brown rice, quinoa, corn, etc.) There is so much you can do with it all. I have a much larger diet now then I did before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. One of my favorite things to eat right now is Southern Stirfry. It is so easy, quick, and delicious!! Sorry I don't have a picture for it (I always like to see what I am trying to make), but I promise you it is good. Try it!!

 Southern Stirfry
1 can Black Eyed Peas (drained and rinsed)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup brown rice (cooked and chilled)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cayenne pepper
2 cups fesh spinach leaves
 Warm skillet and spray with non-stick spray (gluten-free of course). Add all the ingredients except the spinach. Stir occasionally until warm through, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach. Stir occasionally, until the spinach is warm and wilted, about 7 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Update

It's been a while since I've written anything. I've gone back and forth about whether or not I'm even going to keep the blog, but I thought I'd at least write an update. I've been doing world's better the past few weeks. My mom found some amazing supplements that have been a huge factor in that. My stamina is slowly returning. I no longer take naps everyday, and when I do the are now 30-45 minutes instead of 3-4 hours. Also, I am no longer in constant stomach distress. My physical appearance is returning to normal and my mental and emotional stability is normalizing as well. I still have rough days and weeks, but overall I have made huge improvements from just 3 short months ago (although it sometimes feels like it's been years). I am so grateful for the chance I have to heal and for all the love and support that I have around me. I still have a long way to go, but now I can see what it will be like to be healthy again, which is something that I couldn't even imagine before.

Rashes

Yes, I used the plural form on purpose. I have had multiple rashes since I can remember.

Eczema - I have had eczema since I was a baby. This is a dry, flaky, itchy rash. Luckily, I usually only have a few little spots. I know some people who get huge spots everywhere. Lotion and Hydrocortisone cream will help relieve the itching and dry feeling temporarily. The only thing you can do for it permantly is, find out what the cause of it is, usually some sort of allergin, and stay away from it. Eczema is a known symptom of celiac disease and since I have been gluten free I have noticed that my spots are going away.

Hives - The chronic hives started when I was about 11 years old. The only way I can think to describe hives is itchy welts... everywhere. After going to the doctor and getting extensive allergy testing done they threw their hands up and said they didn't know what was causing it. Over the years I figured out that I got hives when I was exposed to cold or when my hormones fluctuated. After becoming immune to Benedryl the doctors put me on a daily, sometimes twice daily, dose of Claritin to try to keep it under control. Hives are not on the list of known symptoms for celiac disease. However, I have not had hives once since I have been gluten free. Plus I stopped taking Claritin when I started the diet. That means that the hives are gone!!

Dermatitis Herpetiformis - This is by far the worst rash I have ever had. It started around first or second grade. Most people who have it get it on their elbows, knees, and rear end. Over the years I have gotten it everywhere. However, since high school I have mainly gotten it on my face. If you have dermatitis herpetiformis, you have celiac disease... period. For patients with this rash it is usually the only symptom of celiac disease they have. (Not in my case, I guess I'm just lucky) This is an intensely itchy rash that appears as watery blisters. I have been really lucky with this because I usually only get small outbreaks of it and it does clear up for short periods of time. Usually people get large breakouts and it rarely goes away. Since I have been gluten free it has pretty much gone away! Every once in a while I will get one or two spots that clear up very quickly.

I am amazed that cutting out one thing from my diet has cleared up all the rashes I have had since the time I was little. I can take a lot of things but itching all the time was one thing that really got to me. I am so excited that I don't have to spend the rest of my life scratching!

Osteopenia

During the process of diagnosis the Doctors decided to test several of my nutrient levels. My Vitamin D level (among others) came back low. Because of this they decided that I needed to have a Bone Density test. I must admit that I am truly grateful that we have the technology we do because all that was recquired of this test was to lay on a bed and be scanned. I went into this test thinking "No problem, what could go wrong with this?" (I didn't even have to have my mom come with me!!)
So, the day of my appointment came. I happened to be getting the test done in a Breast Health Clinic. That made sense to me; Old ladies need regular mammograms and bone scans, why not have it in the same place. When I walked in I was definitely the youngest person there, by about 40 years. I got some pretty odd looks. After a few minutes I got called back and was given some instructions to prep for my test. It went something like this:

Nurse: "Undress, completely from the waist up and put your clothes on one of the hangers."
Me: (If I needed to undress at all wouldn't I have to completely undress?)
Nurse: "Here is a gown for you. The opening goes in front."
Me: (Why would it really matter? It's not like I'm gonna have to take it off.)
Nurse: "Are you wearing deodorant?"
Me: "Yes." (Why wouldn't I be?)
Nurse: (Giving me a look of 'you should know better') "Well, use one of those wipes there and clean the underarm and breast area completely.
Me: (Getting slightly nervous as my worst fears are realized) "Why do I need to take off my deodorant?"
Nusre: (With exasperation now) "Because it gets all over the machine and messes up the results of the test."
Me: "I just want to make sure we are on the same page. I'm here for a bone scan, not a mammogram."
Nurse: "Oh... well then I guess you can keep your deodorant on then."
Me: (Right, because that is really what I was worried about. Not, the fact that you were about to send me through the squish-o-matic 20 years too early.)

So everything turned out fine and I ended up getting the right test done (although I did have an escape plan ready just in case). The bone density test was the easiest test I have done yet; No poking with cold hands, no needles, and best of all, no squishing!! All you do is lay on a table and this arm-thing passes up and down you (you seriously feel like you are in a computer scanner; makes the same noise too).

Alright, getting to the whole point of this post... The results came back and I have Osteopenia. The medical definition for Osteopenia is a bone density that is 1.0 to 2.5 standard deviations below the norm. Osteoporosis is anything below 2.5 standard deviations. The norm is the average bone density for a 30 year old woman. The reason the norm is set at 30 years old is because up until 30 you increase your bone density. After 30 you start to lose bone density. So what is the big deal with Osteopenia? Well, nothing really. If you are over 30 and you have Osteopenia your risk for later Osteoporosis is VERY high. In this case doctors may start you on some treatment or just wait and see if Osteoporosis set in. Luckily for someone like me, who has several years before I hit 30, it's not a big deal at all. I have plenty of time to build back bone density once I start absorbing nutrients again.

Here are some things that help increase bone density: Calcium supplements Vitamin D supplements Daily exposure to the sun, unprotected (15 minutes in unprotected sun exposure will give you 1,000 IU of Vitamin D) Weight bearing exercise (This could be something as simple as walking) So right now I will be taking a lot of sunny walks! What could be better than that? :)

An interesting side note... For anyone who has malabsorption problems DO NOT take any Osteoporosis medications like Boniva or Fosamax! When your body can't absorb the calcium it needs from what you intake, it turns and takes it from your bones instead. The way Osteoporosis medications work is it seals off your bones so that your body can't take the calcium from them. If you can't get the calcium from what you intake or from your bones this leads to a serious depletion of calcium which could cause things like strokes. No good!

Eating Out

"Hey guys let's all go to Olive Garden!" Can I just say that I love Olive Garden, and yet it is probably the scariest place on earth I could go right now. Between the pasta and the dairy, you might as well just give me a death sentence; or at least I'll wish I was dead. But seriously, eating out is not something that I am doing right now.

There are a few restaurants (not Oilive Garden) that offer gluten-free menus but then there is still the issue of cross-contamination in preparation. Several of the books I have read have said that it's not a big deal; all you have to do is go into the restaurant and explain the situation to the server and they will be happy to accommodate you. One book even suggested that you print out a card that explains your 'special' needs. These authors also suggested that you might need to check labels of some of the restaurant's ingredients. One person even said that she has had her server bring her a two gallon bucket of dressing to the table so she could read the ingredients. Plus the fact that after all that there is still a chance that your food will be contaminated.

I'm sorry but I am not about to do any of that. Plus I've worked in the food industry before, I know what goes on behind the scenes. Here's how it usually goes down...
Server: "No problem ma'am. We'll do our best."
In the kitchen... Server: "This crazy lady at table 42 has some 'special' instructions for the cooks. You need to..."
Cooks: "Awww.. come on... you've got to be kidding me! If she has so many issues why doesn't she just stay home and cook for herself!! What do we look like personal chefs!?! We don't have time to worry about all this; we've got other orders to fill!"
(This is when they decide to either spit in your food or ignore the 'special' instructions. Either way, I don't want to eat the food.)

There would also be a lot of colorful language which I left out; but they are right. In my opinion restaurants are there to serve what they offer, which is on the menu. They are not there to serve our every need and desire. If you want all your needs satisfied get your own chef, cook for yourself, or bring your own food when you go to restaurants. I have brought my own food to restaurants and haven't gotten kicked out yet, but usually I just cook for myself; although, I think my mom could qualify as a personal chef. :) The nutritionist I went to gave me a good tip for eating out. She said, "Stick with the extremes of restaurants. Go to either the really cheap ones like Taco Bell and Wendy's or the really expensive ones. The cheap ones really don't have a way to cross-contaminate your food because of the assembly line process they have going on. The expensive ones cater to more individual needs. The middle ground, like Chili's, Outback, and Macaroni Grill is where you can get into the most trouble. They have a strict menu and don't tend to cater to specific individual needs."

 Like I said before, I personally don't think that eating out is a good idea unless the restaurant has separate cooking areas for gluten and gluten-free items, and has practices against cross-contamination. There are a few restaurants where I live that have good practices that I might try once I feel better. You can easily do Google searches for your area to find if there is anything near you.

It's not the same...

I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. As far as I know they are not gluten-free. This past weekend I wanted a sweet treat. Well, we had Hershey's chocolate bars and peanut butter in the house. I thought maybe if I put the two together it would be like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup! Nope. It's not the same. Bummer.

Gluten Free Review

This is going to be a long post. I have tried many 'gluten-free' products and have yet to post about them, so here we go...

Van's Blueberry Waffles- These were not delicious. They crumbled, had a rough texture, and no flavor. Seriously, nothing. Every once in a while I thought I tasted a hint of blueberry, but that was it. It was not worth the raw mouth you get from eating them. However, if you just need a base for some syrup or something these might be good for you.

                                                                                            

 French Meadow Bakery Brownies - You can buy these in the frozen section of Whole Foods. I enjoyed them. However, you have to eat them while the are still a bit chilled. If you let them come completley to room temperature that are kind of gritty. While I did enjoy them I do not think they are worth the price. They are about $7.00 a box and you get 9 small brownies. I can make my own that taste just as good or better for much less.

A Taste of Thai Garlic Basil Coconut Rice First - Let me say that I love rice mixes. Before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease Rice A Roni and such was my favorite stuff. Now, that said, this rice mix was not my favorite. I love Thai food but something just seemed a bit off with the flavors. Also, I made it per the directions, and it was all cooked, but it just seemed dry. I don't know if it was just the kind of rice they used, I have never had Jasmine rice before, but it wasn't my favorite. And again, it was a bit expensive for what I got out of it. I'm sure that I could come up with something that I like better on my own.

Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Brownie Mix -

Your first reaction when you see these brownies is going to be, "Is that chocolate or poop?" If I hadn't been the one to make these I would have said poop. These were not good, at all. They were gritty and had a nasty after-taste. I can and have made homemade gluten-free brownies that taste much better than these. I love Bob's Red Mill but this is not their best product.

Funny story though... I took these brownies to a party so that there would be something that I could eat. Unfortunately I couldn't get to some people to tell them to watch out because they were 'special' brownies. It was really funny to watch their faces across the room as they stuck the whole thing in their mouths. Towards the end one of my friends came into the room and said, "Pumba, I'm sorry I thought you left and I threw out your brownies." The guy sitting next to me turned and said with a tone of relief, "Oh, you brought those brownies? That makes sense now... there was no real flour in them." Needless to say they were not the hit of the party.

Boomi Bars

I didn't take a picture of these, sorry. I tried three different kinds. Macadamia Paradise was delicious but very sweet. I loved the mix of flavors between the pineapple and the macadamia nuts. Perfect Pumpkin --- (something, I can't remember what, sorry) was good too. It had a fruit and nut bar taste to it, which I love. Walnut Date was good too. It was more plain than the other two, but still good. While these are good I probably wouldn't buy them on a regular basis, but if they were around I would eat them. I could probably make my own fruit and nut bars that taste just a good. That's going to be one of my next experiments.

Larabar - I went to a Celiac support group meeting recently and they had these to try. I am so glad I did not pay money for these. I tried two kinds, Apple Pie and Pecan Pie. I tried the Apple Pie one first. It was gross. Seriously, it was dry and had this really funny tang. Seeing as these bars are mostly nuts and dates I thought that the plainer Pecan Pie one would taste better. However, it tasted exactly the same as the Apple Pie one. If I had been blind-folded I wouldn't have been able to tell them apart. I have recently been experimenting with nuts and dates and my wacky experiments have turned out way better than either of these bars.

Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal - I actually liked this. It's really plain but you can do so much with it. I really liked it with honey and cinnamon in it. I have also tried it with blueberries. I also think it would be really good with baked apples, bacon and cheese (if I could eat cheese), and so many other things!! It's kind of like grits but chewier. It also has a more neutral flavor than grits, much more versatile. I would definitely recommend this.

So, the trend throughout this post, except for the Hot Cereal, is that most things that are made to be gluten free and not very good. I have found that it is better to experiment with homemade things and things that are naturally gluten free. This just further supports my idea of eating a mostly whole foods diet. But I will probably try more 'gluten free' things hoping to find something that is good. I'll keep you posted.

Feeding Pumba

Cranberry-Orange Bread

This was a recipe from the back of a Bob's Red Mill mix. It's the best bread-like mix we've tried.

2 cups Gluten Free Biscuit & Baking Mix (Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbs oil

1 cup Orange juice

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup Cranberries

In a medium bowl, blend together egg, sugar, vanilla, and oil. Slowly blend in the orange juice. Add biscuit mix and cranberries to liquid ingredients and blend until just combined. Using a spatula, scoop the dough into a greased loaf pan and spread out dough evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

We found it cooks better in an 8' cake pan. Also, it's best right out of the oven. When it's cooled it gets really clobby (if that's even a word) and when it's stored for any period of time it gets moist, in a bad way. So, it's best to eat it right away. Like I said before, it's the best bread-like mix we've tried. However, that doesn't mean I want to eat it very often and I'm sure when we start experimenting with other things we'll be able to find something much better.

Feeding Pumba

Tuna Tents
This was already one of my favorite meals, so I am pretty excited that it is gluten-free as well! It's way easy too, which is a plus.

On a square of aluminum foil place desired amount of tuna, and desired amount of any chopped vegetable you want. Some of my favorite vegetables to use are; squash, carrots, peppers, green onion, fresh spinach, broccoli, and snow peas. But to each his own.

After all that is piled into the middle of your aluminum foil square pour the Butter Herb sauce over it.

Butter Herb Sauce

Combine is a saucepan over medium heat

3 tbs margarine/butter
1 tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried dill weed

Once you've poured the sauce over everything roll the edges othe the aluminum together to form a packet and bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!!

I can't eat the margarine/butter right now but I tried something similar to this where I cooked everything in a skillet on the stove using the same seasonings as the sauce, to taste (except the margarine/butter) and then at the end I drizzled olive oil on everything. It turned out really well.

Endoscopy

An endoscopy with multiple biopsies is the only way to have a 100% accurate diagnosis of celiac disease. Maybe one day they will find blood work that is accurate enough not to do the endoscopy but right now that is not the case. The biopsies are sent to a pathologist to assess if there is any damage to the villi in the small intestine. It is important to continue eating gluten until the endoscopy is preformed. The body is a miraculous thing and begins to heal immediately. Patients, especially children, who are diagnosed soon after onset of celiac disease can heal rapidly causing the biopsies to come back negative for damage and thus negative for celiac disease. So continue to eat gluten until all diagnostic measures are taken.

It used to be that a second endoscopy was preformed 18 months after starting a gluten-free diet to ensure that the intestines were healing. However, that is not the common practice anymore, though some doctors still do it. If patients are improving on a gluten-free diet and their antibody levels are decreasing the doctors don't find it necessary to go back in again.

I will admit, the endoscopy was not a fun experience. Did you know that if you are an adult they think you are mature enough not to be completely put under? Well obviously they didn't take into account me. I can handle a lot of things, but there are three things that I really don't like; needles, people in my mouth (my poor dentist), and throwing up. This, in a way, combined all three things. (I didn't throw up, but did gag when they pulled the tube back up which is just as bad as throwing up) I'll just say, the nurses were not amused with me. Granted, the 'mild sedative' did take the edge off and made me loopy enough to comply to their instructions I otherwise would have put up a fight against, like "open your mouth". In the end I survived, and I guess if I really had to do it again I could. But only if I REALLY have to. When my doctor came in to start the procedure she said: "Usually I can't tell anything by just looking, unless there is severe damage, beyond the damage to your villi; we usually have to wait for the pathologist report to come back. So, after this you can go and eat all the Krispy Kreme donuts you want." I politely told her that I didn't care if she could or couldn't tell anything just by looking, I was starting to eat gluten-free that day because I was tired of being sick. Well, when she finally got down into my small intestine I heard her say, through my mildly sedated haze, "Wow, you definitely have it! No more Krispy Kremes for you." Ha! I told you so. So in the end, she told me no more gluten, gave me some souvenir pictures of my intestines, and sent me on my way. When the pathologist report came back it said the same thing only in greater detail. "Near complete obliteration of the villi; Chronic inflammation of the intestine" and a lot of other stuff that I didn't fully understand, but it's not good. But as I said earlier, the body is a miraculous thing. It can heal itself even from extensive damage. So as long as I stay away from gluten I will completely heal. It just may take a few years. But I don't mind because if 15+ years of damage can be healed in 2 years, I'm not complaining.

Preliminaries

Unfortunately I am not talking about a Miss America swim suit competition. I decided I would go ahead and start writing about the tests I've had. It's a bit of a process to be diagnosed with Celiac disease, and I'm not even talking about the years I and other people have gone through of random medical tests before the doctors even get around to Celiac disease.

When I finally went back to the doctor a few months ago, determined to figure out what was wrong with me, I knew I needed to at least be tested for Celiacs thanks to my mom's research and knowing a few people who had it. Thankfully after talking to my new doctor he agreed that I should be tested for Celiacs as well. (It's a good thing he agreed because there was NO WAY I was leaving that office without being tested, and I would have put up a BIG stink)

However, being the good doctor he is he wanted to test several other things as well. So, along with the Celiac panel he did blood tests for thyroid problems, hepatitis, and some other basic nutrients testing. Those tests are all pretty basic and should be done with the symptoms I was presenting. We've all had blood tests. They are easy and relatively pain less. Although I will admit that I have this fear of needles and turn into a four year old girl who wants her mommy when anyone comes at me with a needle.

He also wanted to rule out parasites and intesinal infections which meant a stool sample test. I'll say one thing about that test; some things in this life are just wrong, and that was one of them. Painless, but wrong.

Well, all of the tests came back negative, except the Celiac panel. I got a call from the doctor's office saying everything was fine but that the doctor wanted to talk to me about my Celiac test. I happened to be in the area the next day so I called to see if there was time that morning I could come in. All the nurse said was, "We'll make time. The doctor really wants to see you." So I went in and got taken back right away. Normally when the doctor walks in he is cheery and talkative, that was not the case that day. He was very quiet and solemn. He came in, pulled up a chair close to mine and sat down (he never sits down). Then he said to me in his Russian accent, "Unfortunately you were right, you definitely have Celiac Disease." I think he was expecting me to be sad or shocked or something. But I was actually relieved and happy. I had actually figured out what was wrong with me! Plus, with Celiac disease I could live a symptom-free life as long as I didn't eat gluten. This was a great day! He gave me the name and number of a gastrointestinal doctor so that I could go and get the next step of diagnosis done, an endoscopy. While the Celiac panel (blood test) is a good indication of whether or not you have Celiac disease it is only a starting point. The true diagnosis comes from an endoscopy with multiple biopsies of the small intestine. I'll get to that story later.

Here's some technical information about the Celiac Panel for those who want to know. The Celiac Panel tests for 3 anitbodies that are produced as a result of the autoimmune response that the consumption of gluten causes. These three antibodies are Ttg (Tissue Transglutaninase Ab, IgA), IgG (Gliadin Peptide Ab, IgG), and IgA (Gliadin Peptide Ab, IgA). The main one is the Ttg antibody, but the other ones are indicators as well. Some tests only test for one antibody but it is important to get all three tested or at least the Ttg. Normal levels for all three antibodies are <7;  >10 definitely has Celiac disease and will need to get an endoscopy to assess the damage. Just for reference here are my levels: Ttg >128 (The scale wouldn't go any higher they said.), IgG 84, IgA 60. Verdict is: 100% chance that I have Celiac Disease!!
 The other good thing about the Celiac Panel is that you can get the test redone after several months of being on a gluten-free diet. If the levels of the antibodies are decreasing you know that you are healing. If the levels are the same or increasing you know you are getting some gluten somewhere in you diet. This test is especially important for assessing improvement in patients who are asymptomatic (they don't have physical symptoms but do have intestinal damage). I will probably have to have this test done every few years once I get everything under control just to make sure that I am staying in the normal range. Even though I don't like needles I'd much rather get a blood test done every few years than an endoscopy every few years!!

Insomnia

Seeing as I couldn't sleep, again, I figured it would be a good time to write about insomnia. The insomnia started in second grade. I remember lying in bed at night thinking "I have to sleep so I can go to school tomorrow." I tried listening to soothing music, counting sheep, and even praying. However, sleep continued to evade me, though the prayer did help on occasion.
The insomnia has continued throughout my life, and I still try listening to music and praying; I've given up on the whole sheep thing. I've always thought that I just had an overactive mind that was keeping me awake. I figured I just needed to learn how to relax and quiet my mind so that I could sleep. Obviously, none of that has worked since I am writing this post. The most frustrating thing about it is that when I am tired during the day and go to take a nap I have no trouble falling asleep. However, when I go to bed at night, even if I am exhausted, I lay in bed for hours on end before I finally drift off.
The good news? I found out that insomnia is a symptom of Celiac Disease; shocking, right? Now, normally I like to explain why a symptom is connected to Celiac Disease but the truth is I have no idea how insomnia is connected. All I know is that autoimmune diseases mess up your whole body, which includes sleeping patterns. Why is this good news you ask? Well, if it's a symptom of Celiac Disease there is a chance that when I get better the insomnia will go away and I'll be able to sleep. That would be wonderful!!! But for now I'll go back to bed and see if writing this all out will help me sleep tonight.

So Blessed

I have been enormously blessed my entire life and right now is no different. When I was wrapping up my college education a few months ago I was frustrated that nothing was working out the way I had planned or wanted them to. I was supposed to start grad school right after graduation, but changed my plans and decided not to go. I was going to get a job right away when I moved back home, but my mom was wise and talked me into taking three months off. I am the kind of person who always likes to have a plan, and yet for the first time in my life I felt that I should just take some time off and not plan anything. It's amazing how God works. These things have placed me in the perfect situation to take the time I need to heal. Here are some of the other things that I am grateful for right now. This is certainly not the whole list, but includes things that have particularly affected me with my diagnosis of Celiac Disease.

• I have a loving Father in Heaven who loves and cares for me; who has guided me to find answers about my health and has placed me in the perfect position that I am in now.
• I have a wonderful family who loves and supports me. They give me strength and help me in anyway possible; from letting me live at home again, to my mom going gluten-free with me.
• I have the means to not work for several months without worrying about money.
• I was blessed to be able to finish college and do well, something that myself, my parents, and the doctors are shocked at.
• I have been blessed with finally getting answers to all of my medical problems and that I will recover enough to live a symptom-free life.
• I have been blessed to live in a time where Celiac Disease is known and where information is available for me to learn to live with it.

I love my life and everything in it. As I continue to write about my symptoms please realize that while these things have affected my life they have not dictated it. I am not writing about them to complain about them but rather to release it and allow myself to heal mentally and emotionally as well as physically. I am also writing to hopefully help others with this disease realize they are not alone and to provide information to those who want to know.
One last petty thing... today I am grateful that I was able to find peanut butter that fit into my diet!! :) It's the little things in life that bring me the most joy!

Feeding Pumba

The Farmer's Market This spring my mom and I got fed up with the produce at our local grocery stores. So we decided to try out our local farmer's market. Let me tell you, it's so much better than the grocery store! So much better in fact that we get up at 5:00 every Tuesday morning to go see what we can find. You can find all sorts of produce that is good quality and cheaper than the grocery store. Over the summer we have been able to get some of our favorites (zucchini, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and berries), as well as try some new things (zephyr squash, winter squash, eggplant, figs, and october beans).
The farmer's market has been especially great since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Fresh vegetables and fruits are some of the things that I can still eat and that I am trying to center my diet around. It's great to know that I can go somewhere that is a fun experience as well as come away with things that I know are fresh and taste good. We have had a blast trying new foods and recipes and enlarging our tastes. The farmer's market is going to close for the season soon and I don't know what we are going to do. Regular grocery stores just aren't the same anymore.

Change

I like change. I find it challenging; and I love a good challenge! Besides change can always be a positive thing as long as you make it a positive thing. Being diagnosed with Celiac Disease definitely meant some change. But I was also filled with excitement. The gluten-free diet is certainly a learning curve but I have been enjoying every moment of it.

Well, just to keep the excitement going I am adding in some more change. I've been gluten-free for a month and the truth of the matter is that I am still sick. Earlier this week I decided it was the little bits of milk I was getting (I am lactose intolerant due to the damage of my villi); the chocolate, the margarine, the gluten-free brownies, etc. So, I decided to be 100% dairy-free too. Unfortunately, being dairy-free did not help me from being sick this weekend; and I mean SICK. I haven't been that sick in a while. This morning I was trying to figure it out. Had I gotten gluten somewhere? That just seems impossible, I've been very cautious. It wasn't the dairy because a) I hadn't eaten anything with dairy in a few days and b) this was a different kind of sick (yes, I can tell the difference). All of a sudden I realized, I had eaten something with yeast in it this weekend. I don't normally eat things with yeast. The last time I ate something with yeast I was really sick too.

Now, I don't think I am allergic to yeast but it does make sense for something else: Candida Overgrowth Candida is a bacteria (bad) in your intestinal system. Normally you have a very small amount. However, due to things like stress, poor diet, or other health problems, candida can multiple at a very high rate causing the balance of good to bad bacteria to be off which causes intestinal problems. When you ingest things like yeast and sugar it feeds the growth of the candida causing an even higher reproduction rate and more issues. I know for a fact that the good to bad bacteria ratio is off in my system. This is due to deterioration of my intestines and malabsorption. This is also why my doctor had me start taking a probiotic (good bacteria in pill form). I figure maybe the balance is just a little more off than we expected and I need to take a few extra steps in trying to right the ratio of good and bad bacteria.

So, back to the change thing; I have also decided to cut out all yeast and refined sugar from my diet as well. (At this point I will do whatever it takes to feel better) The yeast won't be a problem at all. However, I am a self proclaimed sugar addict. It's going to take some getting used to; and I'm pretty sure I am going to face withdrawls. But, like I said before, change can be a good thing if you make it a good thing. I have always wanted to conquer my addiction and eat healthier. It will also allow me to try new ways of eating that may even be better than sugar. Who knows what I'm gonna find! I am still excited for it all.

 So just a quick recap; I am now: gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, sugar-free (refined).  I always love a good challenge!!

Feeding Pumba

Since the biggest part of having Celiac Disease is figuring out the Gluten-Free diet I hope to make "Feeding Pumba" posts regular. I will post recipes, reviews of Gluten-Free items, and 'experiments'. Enjoy!

My lunch today was AMAZING!!

Tuscan Vegetable Minestone

2 cups diced spinach leaves

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup canned ground or diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth (we use Kitchen Basics, but anything gluten-free is fine)
1 cup diced zucchini (we do half zucchini, half yellow or zephyr squash)
2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano (we use dried)
Salt and Pepper to taste
 In a large pot combine, spinach, onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover, adjust heat to maintain simmer, and cook until vegetables are half done, about 15 minutes. Add zucchini and beans. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add oregano, salt, and pepper. This soup saves great for leftovers and does well in the freezer. You can also add 1/2 cup diced potato when you put in the other vegetables. Or you can add 1/2 cup gluten-free penne pasta when you put in the zucchini and beans. However, if you add these things it doesn't save as well in the freezer.

 'Focaccia' Bread 1 pkg Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pizza crust mix (for this you will also need 1 1/2 cup warm water, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp olive oil)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 dried oregano
 Make the pizza dough as instructed on the package. (I only used half the dough and put the other half in the fridge) Spread out the dough on a greased pan. It doesn't really matter the shape. I did a rectagular-like shape because I wanted to cut it into sticks. After you spread it out bake at 425 degrees for 17-20 minutes. While the dough is baking mix together olive oil, garlic powder, and oregano in small contaner. Brush olive oil mixture on the crust when it has finished cooking and cut. This was a total experiment today because I've wanted something like bread sticks/garlic bread/pizza. It had really good flavor. The texture is... different, but once you get used to it, it's fine. I would definitely eat this again, and it filled my craving.

Mood Swings and Depression

The mood swings started when I was 11 or 12. You may be thinking, well duh... puberty. We thought so too for a while. When I got older and the mood swings got worse my mom suggested going to the doctor and getting medication for it. But some things about it just didn't add up. Half the time the mood swings didn't even coincide with my cycle. Plus, this was more than just a change in mood, I was like a completely different person. This was way beyond normal puberty or PMS.

Normally I am very level headed and rational. I hardly ever get irritated with people and almost never get angry. This is not the case when a mood swing hits. And when I say hit I mean a switch flips from one second to the next. One second I am happy, the next I am irritated with whoever happens to be near me. One second I am hanging out with friends, the next I just know that they really don't like me and are just being nice to me because they feel sorry for me. One second I am working hard and am confident in myself, the next I don't know how I am going to do what I need to. My perspective also switches. I perceive everyone else around me as irritated and irrational too. If I stop and logically think about things I realize that I am making no sense. But I can never snap myself out of it. I am just certifiably crazy for a while. For example... my grandparents were in town visiting. My mom, grandma, and I were all sitting at the table having a good time talking about harmless things like recipes. All of a sudden the switch flipped. I literally was so annoyed with my mom and grandma that I thought I was going to pull my hair out. They hadn't done anything but all of a sudden I saw them as irritated with each other and making sharp comments to each other; not at all the case. I just had to excuse myself and completely leave the house.

It has gotten to the point that when I am venting to my mom during these times she has stopped trying to understand me and make it all better. Instead she tells me "Don't make any life changing decisions, don't sign any legal documents. Just go watch a movie, read a book, and go to bed. Tomorrow, you'll feel better and it will all work out." She's always right. The next day, or sometimes even just hours later, I am my old self again and everything is alright again.

Luckily the depression isn't quite as bad. It tends to come as a byproduct of the mood swings and goes away with them too. There have only been two times in my life where I was depressed for extended periods of time. Those times were due to a combination of stress and other symptoms.

Why are mood swings and depression symptoms of Celiac Disease? Autoimmune diseases effect your entire body. Especially your hormone levels and functioning. Your body is mass producing antibodies, hormones, or other chemicals trying to fix what's going wrong inside you. Thus, sometimes you get spikes or drops in hormone levels causing things like mood swings and depression. Another reason is that if you're undiagnosed you may be dealing with symptoms that you don't understand. You can become frustrated, worried, and feel like you are crazy (been there, done that). This can cause severe depression in some people, especially if they don't have a strong and understanding support system behind them. Thankfully, I have had an amazing, understanding family which helped me avoid the depression. Not everyone is so lucky. So the outlook for me is hopeful. I figure once my antibody levels come down and my body isn't on alert all the time my hormones will be able to level out as well. Thank goodness!!

To Begin...

Last month I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I've decided to created this blog for a few reasons.

1. As an educational reference for friends, family, and whoever else comes upon this blog.
2. As a support and information source (not that I have all the information) for those who also have Celiac Disease.
3. As a creative outlet for myself. (This is probably the main reason for the blog)
** Side note, I am a believer is the whole "humor is the best medicine". If you are offended at me taking things lightly, sorry I'm not changing it. I choose to see the humorous side of life; it makes life a lot happier, especially when times are hard.
** Additional side note, I plan on blogging about symptoms I have had and procedures I have been through because I find benefit in knowing that others have been through the same things and have had the same feelings that I have experienced. So just as a warning, occasional posts may be more information than you ever wanted to know about me.

So, a quick introduction to Celiac Disease for those of you who aren't familiar with it... Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease (NOT an allergy or intolerance!!). When someone with Celiac Disease consumes gluten (a protein in wheat, barley, and rye) an immune response is triggered. Antibodies are sent to the small intestine to destroy the 'bad guys' and instead destroys the villi in the small intestine. This causes problems with absorption of nutrients, plain ol' proper functioning, and gives rise to a host of symptoms. One of the big problems with Celiac Disease is that the immune response is triggered by any amount of gluten, even just a hidden crumb. So, since there is no cure or medicine for this disease the only course of treatment is a 100% Gluten-Free diet; including miniscule crumbs.

How was I diagnosed? Glad you asked... I have had a plethora of varying symptoms my whole life. However, the past two years have just been out of control. I chalked it up to be stress. However, that excuse fell through when I graduated college and had three months planned of no school, no work, relaxation only, and my symptoms continuing to get worse. So, through my mom's research, and the correct medical tests I finally got the dianosis of Celiac Disease. (Yeah, I know it's kind of vague but I'm going to post specific stories later that I don't want to ruin. No one likes a spoiler!) When I got home and told my brother that I was officially a Celiac he laughed and said, "It sounds like some sort of alien species on Star Trek!" He's right! I can see it now... "Captain, the Celiac ship has locked onto us!" "Shields up! Red alert! Image on screen." Okay, so I am a bit of a trekkie too. Like Celiac Disease there's no cure for that either.

So, I have been Gluten-Free for about a month and have seen some improvements in my health. I still have a LONG way to go but it will come with time. The doctor's say that because of the damage I have to my small intestine it will take about two years for it to fully heal. Luckily they say I should start feeling much better in about 6-9 months. I honestly can't remember what it's like to feel normal and healthy so I am looking forward to finding out again!